The building consists of a glass dome resting on top of six district heating tanks.

Perlan houses a planetarium with a Northern Lights show called Áróra, an ice cave, which is 100 meters long and is built from around 400 tons of ice, snow, and ash, an interactive glacier exhibit, Lava Show, a water exhibition, Latrabjarg Cliff, a ten-meter-high replica of one of Europe‘s biggest seabird cliffs, a virtual fish tank, Forces of Nature Exhibit, Iceland's geological story timeline, a 360° observation deck, an ice cream parlour, a Restaurant and Café and a gift shop.

In 1939, a single hot water tank was constructed on Öskjuhlíð hill in Reykjavík, where Perlan stands today.

That sufficed to supply water anywhere in Reykjavík – even to the hill where Hallgrímskirkja church stands today.

Being situated on the top of a hill, Perlan offers a view over Reykjavík, the surrounding areas, mountains, the Atlantic Ocean.